WRETCHED

ÉPOQUE
2ème Édition
 Writing and layout: Miguel Ribeiro
Additional writing: Sílvia Clemente
and Joe Coombs
Cover and Interior Art: Public Domain,
Adobe Stock
AI Art Generated by MidJourney
and Stable Diffusion
Copyright 2023, The Red Room
 Content
Introduction 5
Shadows & Illuminations 7
New Rules 18
Adversaries 45
Timeline 69
Esoteric Orders & Secret Societies 82
Criminal Masterminds 100
Mad Scientists 123
Apache Underworld 142
´Mesmerism 157
Law & Order160
The Otherworldly 176
Factions 182
The Beyond 201
Guide to the City of Lights 224
Wages & Prices 254
Belle Époque Around the World 264
Game Mastering Tips 292
Introductory Scenarios 306
Appendices I-III 321
Map 340-341
Character Sheet 342-345
 As the previous paragraph
Introduction implies, among the main
inspirations for Wretched
Époque you’ll find The
Wretched Époque takes place
Extraordinary Adventures of
in the period known as the
Adèle Blanc-Sec, a series of
Belle Époque, which is dated
mildly Lovecraftian French
between 1871 and 1914,
graphic novels of the 1970s by
ending when World War I
Jacques Tardi (also the 2010
started.
movie adaptation by Luc
Besson), Umberto Eco’s The
This is the time and the
Prague Cemetery (2010) and
fictional place where
Edgar Allan Poe’s short
Umberto Eco’s Simone
stories The Murders in the
Simonini - the most cynical
Rue Morgue, The Mystery of
and disagreeable character in
Marie Rogêt and The
the History of literature, as
Purloined Letter, featuring
the author meant him to be -
gentleman detective Auguste
crosses paths with Jacques
Dupin. These and other
Tardi’s Adèle Blanc-Sec,
influences are listed below.
Edgar Allan Poe’s Chevalier
Auguste Dupin and Maurice
Leblanc’s Arsène Lupin,
amidst anarchist
bombings, the echoes of Second Edition
the Dreyfus affair, the
catastrophic side effects In this revised edition, Wretched
of secret societies Époque has transformed from a
conspiring in the shadows standalone game into an immersive
setting. As such, to fully delve into
and the mysterious results this world, you will require the
of experiences conducted Wretched Role-Playing Game core
by mad geniuses. book, an alternative set of OSR
rules, or even another type of role-
Not yet pulp, not quite playing game system.
Within these pages, you will �nd
historical, it is neither the not only a seamless integration of
right time nor the right Époque with the new Wretched
mood for Steampunk or mechanics, but also an abundance of
Dieselpunk, but it is the enriched content. Explore the Belle
era of Art Nouveau, a Époque era across the globe, unravel
the intricate web of nefarious
style of art and adversaries and factions, and
architecture with discover an array of plot hooks and
distinctive features. So, game mastering hints.
let’s just label this new
genre “nouveaupunk”,
perhaps it will stick...

6
 trying to revive animals or
Shadows ancient hominids extinct for
millions of years. There are
& Illuminations also occultists trying to tap
into unknown powers.
“It’s very late. I left Paris this
morning, I left too many As the Game Master, your
clues. They’ve had time to challenge is to maintain a
guess where I am. In a little harmonious equilibrium
while, They’ll be here. I would between the Shadows and the
have liked to write down Illuminations - the world of
everything I thought today. Wretched Époque is teetering
But if They were to read it, on this delicate balance. Your
They would only derive players should be allowed to
another dark theory and revel in the scientific wonders
spend another eternity trying and historic marvels of the
to decipher the secret message Belle Époque, while also
hidden behind my words. It’s being drawn into the mystery
impossible, They would say; and intrigue of its darker
he can’t only have been corners.
making fun of us.”
Be wary of allowing the light
Umberto Eco, Foucault’s of progress to completely
Pendulum dispel the alluring shadows of
mystery, or conversely, of
Wretched Époque deals with letting the shadows so
paranormal and supernatural thoroughly eclipse the
events. Certain things illuminations that they are
diverged from our reality in lost to sight. Remember that
this alternate History’s the essence of this time period
plotline. Mesmerism is a real is a dance between the known
thing, practised by trained and the unknown, between
Animal Magnetists, who the bright, lively streets of
dwell on the threshold Paris and the dimly lit
between science and alleyways where conspiracies
mysticism; vampires and are moulded. In your sessions,
other children of the night strive to create a combination
walk among us, though their of experiences that embodies
existence is unknown by most this dichotomy, a world that is
people, and unscrupulous both a stage for scientific and
scientists are applying cultural advancement, and a
galvanism, the therapeutic use labyrinth of enigmas
of electric currents, intending concealed in the penumbra of
to reanimate corpses or the grand spectacle.

7
 telluric currents for devilish
Shadows purposes or global
domination? On the other
The times of the Belle hand, perhaps a succession
Époque were fraught with of conflicts (Crimean,
innovation and research, Franco-Austrian, Austro-
both in scientific, pseudo- Prussian, Franco-Prussian,
scientific and outright Russo-Turkish, Serbian–
esoteric fields. Is it possible Ottoman, Montenegrin–
that the thirst for knowledge Ottoman, Serbo-Bulgarian,
led Humankind to tap into Greco-Turkish, Russo-
unknown energies, giving Japanese, Italo-Turkish and
rise to a surge in esoteric Balkan wars), Anarchist
phenomena? bombings and the political
and diplomatic
Are the Bavarian Illuminati, manoeuvrings between the
Knights Templar, British and the Russian
Stonemasons, Rosicrucian, Empires – which History
the Theosophical Society, or recorded as The Great Game
the Golden Dawn behind all – and all the violence death
the strange happenings? Has and famine gave way to a
some secret society found breach in reality, calling
the location of the fabled forth previously unknown
Umbilicus Mundi and forces from the Beyond.
managed to manipulate

8
You could even
pick up
something
partly based on
historical fact
and give it a
spin. Let’s say
the Protocols of
the Elders of
Zion. This was a
falsified text
about a Jewish
plan for global
domination. The
alleged plot was
fabricated by
anti-Semites in
the early 20th
century — still
within the
timeline of this
setting – to disseminate anti- He was also responsible for
Jewish bias worldwide. forging the Protocols of the
Elders of Zion. In this case,
But let’s imagine the anti- the hoax was triggered by
Semites were, in fact, being both ideological and
played by unknown forces, monetary reasons, but plans
who were the actual authors for world domination could
of the Protocols text, and be the reason some über-
used it to distract the public villain or powerful group
from a real conspiracy going devised this iniquitous ploy.
on.
However, we chose not to
The conspirators could be offer a definitive
anybody you want them to explanation. Anything is
be. In Umberto Eco’s novel possible, most likely a
The Prague Cemetery, the combination of several
leading character, Simone influences, either the
Simonini, is a forger working previously mentioned or
for the French secret service, others. It is up to the Game
responsible for contriving the Master to decide how does
“bordereau” document, which the alternate reality in
framed Captain Alfred Wretched Époque diverges
Dreyfus. from our own.

9
 Although in Wretched Époque,
Illuminations Mesmerism turned out to be a
functional, albeit obscure,
As mentioned above, this was practice, in the real world it
an era of scientific and remained a pseudo-science,
technological advancement in like many others that
Europe and the world in proliferated at the time, such
general. In the wake of Henri as phrenology (the study of
Becquerel’s study of uranium bumps and fissures in human
salts and subsequent skulls to determine a person’s
discovery of radioactivity, character), the study of
Pierre and Marie Curie jointly Ectoplasm (alleged spiritual
studied and revealed radium energy exteriorised by
and polonium to the world physical mediums while in a
two years later, in 1898. Louis trance), Spirit Photography,
Pasteur, a pioneer in Astrology, Iridology
vaccination, micro bacterial (observation of patterns and
fermentation and colours of the iris to
pasteurisation, developed the determine the patient’s
first vaccines against anthrax systemic health) among other
(1881) and rabies (1885). esoteric and alternative
Alexander Graham Bell medicine techniques.
patented the first telephone in
1876, and Edison introduced
the first commercially
successful phonograph in
1877, and the light bulb two
years later. On 23 October
1906, Brazilian inventor and
aviation pioneer Santos
Drummond made the first
powered, heavier-than-air
flight in Europe to be
certified by the Aéro-Club de
France and the Fédération
Aéronautique Internationale
(World Air Sports Federation).
Meanwhile, Luso-Goan monk
Abbé Faria and Scottish
surgeon James Esdaile -
among several others -
developed Franz Mesmer’s
studies on Animal Magnetism
(or Mesmerism).

10
Not all scientific
progress was made
in modern
laboratories in the
Western World.
Also, during the
Belle Époque, the
excavations on
Hissarlik, the site of
ancient Troy, carried
out by Heinrich
Schliemann, Frank
Calvert, Wilhelm
Dörpfeld, and Carl
Blegen took place in
the 1870s; William
Flinders Petrie was
the first to
scientifically
investigate the Great
Pyramid in Egypt, in
the 1880s, and Sir Arthur The Northwest Passage, the
John Evans unearthed the sea route connecting the
Palace of Knossos, on the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans
Greek island of Crete, in 1900. through the Arctic, was
completed in 1906 by
Henry Morton Stanley – who Norwegian explorer Roald
in 1871 found and rescued Amundsen. The same Roald
Scottish missionary and Amundsen led an expedition
explorer David Livingstone – to reach the South Pole, in
led an expedition to Zanzibar December 1911, following a
in 1874, one of the most race with English rival Robert
memorable of all explorations Falcon Scott. By the end of
in Africa, in which he the era, in 1914, Ernest
circumnavigated Victoria Shackleton attempted to cross
Nyanza and Tanganyika. Antarctica via the South Pole,
but his ship, the Endurance,
In the late 1870s, the became trapped in pack ice
Portuguese aristocrat and and was crushed before the
adventurer Serpa Pinto was shore parties could be landed.
the fourth explorer to cross In a way, even the study of the
Africa from west to east, and occult worked as a form of
the first to lay a route illumination during the Belle
between Angola and Zambia. Époque.

11
In Europe, occultism
emerged as a way to
establish a link
between religion and
positivist science,
building on
medieval and
Renaissance
traditions of esoteric
thought.

Spiritualism, partly
based on
communication
between the living
and the dead, fully
theorised by
Andrew Jackson
Davis and Allan
Kardec, emerged in
the United States in
the 1840s and
spread throughout
North America and
Europe.

At the same time,

the religion of New
Thought, revolving
around the idea of
mind over matter,
was developed by
American mesmerist
Phineas P. Quimby.
But there were also
Enlightenment
libertines leading the
occult movement,
especially Helena
Blavatsky, who
postulated the
revival of the
ancient occult
science.

12
Helena Blavatsky –
who, in 1877,
published Isis
Unveiled: A Master-
Key to the
Mysteries of
Ancient and
Modern Science
and Theology –
was the co-founder
and main figure of
the Theosophical
Society, an esoteric
movement which
combined neo-
Platonic philosophy
with religious
traditions such as
Vedānta, Mahāyāna
Buddhism,
Qabbalah, and
Sufism.
In the meantime,
in America,
Paschal Beverly
Randolph, medical
doctor, occultist
and founder of the
United States’ earliest known principles were: “Do what
Rosicrucian Order, was trying thou wilt shall be the whole of
to use sexual energy and the Law, love is the law, love
psychoactive drugs for under will and Every man
magical purposes and, in and every woman is a star.”
England, the Hermetic Order As necessary as they were in
of the Golden Dawn was the real world, these
founded by the end of the “illuminations” will take
19th Century. Aleister second place from here on.
Crowley, one of the most well- For the world of Wretched
known members of the Époque, the sinister
Golden Dawn, also became a conspiracies, crime
prominent member of the syndicates, mad geniuses, and
Ordo Templi Orientis and other evils lurking in the
founder of the Thelema shadows of the Belle Époque
religion, whose main are what matter the most.

13
 seclusion of Devil’s Island.
The Dreyfus Affair The conviction, based solely
on a dubious document – the
In the labyrinthine channels infamous “bordereau” – was
of history, few incidents echo a flawed manifestation of
with such profound resonance justice, brewed from the
as the Dreyfus Affair. Far bitter potions of deceit and
from a mere spectacle, this prejudice.
grave incident – buried in the
dark corridors of the late While Dreyfus languished in
19th century – presented exile, the affair that bore his
itself as a Pandora’s box, name burgeoned into a
wrenching open a chasm of labyrinth of enigmas and
social, political, and moral revelations, which rippled
dilemmas for French and throughout the dimly lit
European societies alike. alleyways of French society.
Amid the tumult of the Belle Factions of ‘Dreyfusards’ and
Époque, the infamous ‘Anti-Dreyfusards’ emerged,
incident became a crux of shattering the unity of the
justice miscarried and an nation as they jousted for the
event of almost mesmeric truth in this twisted theatre
influence, affecting a nation of justice. These factions
(and beyond) on a were not just limited to the
monumental scale. populace. Instead, they
penetrated the depths of
The Dreyfus Affair – an French society, manifesting
emblematic scandal steeped themselves within the
in espionage, conspiracy, and hallowed halls of the
ignominy – seized France’s intellectual elite, the streets
heart in 1894. Its of metropolitan France, and
unsuspecting protagonist, even the silent, shadowy
Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a corners of the military
high-ranking Jewish officer complex.
in the French Army, found
himself wrongly accused of Parallel to the factional
treason, a victim of anti- infighting, an unexpected
Semitism and dubious fabricated narrative
military practices. Trapped surfaced. The Protocols of
within this shadowy theatre the Elders of Zion, an
of conspiracy, the captain infamous anti-Semitic text,
was convicted of began circulating. This text,
transmitting military secrets purporting a Jewish plan for
to the German Embassy and global domination, intensified
exiled to the infernal the atmosphere of distrust.

14
Although
eventually
exposed as a
forgery, the
pervasive
damage was
done. Its
echoes
vibrated
ominously
within the
consciousness
of a society
already riven
by divisions.
Across the
English
Channel, the
tumult was
keenly felt.
The European
theatre, torn
by ideological
wars, observed
France’s
internal
struggle with
trepidation.
The Belle Époque, with its
shimmering façade of The importance of the
progress and prosperity, Dreyfus Affair thus
concealed a darker reality, as transcends the narrative of a
the Dreyfus Affair proved a single, wronged individual.
dissonance between the ideals It underscores a tumultuous
of the Enlightenment and the chapter in French and
grim reality of social European history that
prejudice and institutional unveiled a conflict between
injustice. The political two worlds – one, a bright
manoeuvring and diplomatic stage of scientific
brinkmanship that epitomised advancement and cultural
the Great Game played out progress, and the other, a
within France, amplifying the shadowy underbelly of
discord and tension, drawing prejudice, deceit, and
Europe into its vortex. injustice.

15
 Time Machine, War of the
The Beyond Worlds, The Island of Dr
Moreau and The Invisible
Man, H. P. Lovecraft’s Herbert
Most of the encounters with
West - Reanimator and The
the unknown in Wretched
Case of Charles Dexter Ward,
Époque will involve the
Hugo Pratt’s Corto Maltese:
paranormal and weird science.
The Early Years and The
However, the supernatural is
Ballad of the Salty Sea, Jules
also a real thing in this
Verne’s Around the World in
setting. All dealings with the
80 Days, Journey to the Centre
occult, including the use of
of the Earth, Twenty
magic, are connected to the
Thousand Leagues Under the
Beyond, a dark, potentially
Seas, Leopold von Sacher-
evil place, where time and the
Masoch’s Venus in
laws of physic make no sense.
Furs, Marcel
The Beyond is just as
Allain and Pierre
uncanny, whether you are
Souvestre’s Fantômas, Mary
being pursued by demons or
Shelley’s Frankenstein,
performing a ritual you have
Maurice Leblanc’s Arsène
studied with care for years.
Lupin, Gentleman Burglar,
More about the Beyond in the
Robert Louis Stevenson’s The
Otherworldly chapter and
Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and
throughout this book.
Mr Hyde, Rider Haggard’s
King Solomon’s Mines,
SOURCES OF INSPIRATION
Rudyard Kipling’s The Man
Who Would Be King and Kim,
RECOMMENDED NOVELS, SHORT
Tardi’s The Extraordinary
STORIES AND COMICS (BY NO
Adventures of Adèle Blanc-
PARTICULAR ORDER)
Sec, Umberto Eco’s Foucault’s
Pendulum and The Prague
Alan Moore’s The League of
Cemetery, Victor Hugo’s Les
Extraordinary Gentlemen
Miserables, Oscar Wilde’s The
Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock
Picture of Dorian Gray,
Holmes stories, Bram Stoker’s
Gaston Leroux’s The Phantom
Dracula, Edgar Allan Poe’s
of the Opera, Henry James’
The Murders in the Rue
The Turn of the Screw, Joseph
Morgue, The Mystery of Marie
Conrad’s Heart of Darkness,
Rogêt, The Purloined Letter
H.P. Lovecraft’s The Call of
and The Facts in the Case of
Cthulhu, Thomas Mann’s
M. Valdemar, Caleb Carr’s The
Death in Venice, Robert W.
Alienist, Émile Zola’s
Chambers’ The King in Yellow,
J’Accuse, G. K.
Arthur Machen’s The Great
Chesterton’s The Man Who
God Pan
Was Thursday, H. G. Wells’

16
RECOMMENDED MOVIES RECOMMENDED MUSIC
& TV SERIES
Erik Satie, Claude Debussy,
Arsène Lupin (1932), Maurice Ravel, Pyotr Ilyich
The Devil Is a Woman (1935), Tchaikovsky, Scott Joplin,
Arsène Lupin Returns Édith Piaf, Sergei
(1938), Madame Rachmaninoff, Gustav
Curie (1943), Casque Mahler, Richard Strauss,
d’Or (1952), La Belle Otero Antonín Dvořák, Giuseppe
(1954), Gigi (1958), Verdi, Gabriel Fauré, Camille
A Breath of Saint-Saëns
Scandal (1960), Fanny (1961),
Fantômas (1964), The Oldest
Profession (1967), Death in
Venice (1971), The Tiger
Brigades (1974-
1983), Novecento (1976), Lady
of the Camelias (1981),
The Adventures of Sherlock
Holmes (1984-1985), Camille
Claudel (1988), Poirot (1989-
2013), Lautrec (1998),
Vidoq (2001), From Hell
(2001), The Phantom of
the Opera (2004),
The Tiger Brigades
(2004),
The Illusionist (2006),
The Prestige (2006),
The Extraordinary
Adventures of Adèle Blanc-
Sec (2010), Penny Dreadful
(2014-2016), An Officer and
a Spy/ J’Accuse (2019),
Radioactive (2020), Paris
Police 1900 (2021)

17
 COVERT OPERATIVE
New Archetypes (ARCHETYPE)
In the 19th century, there was
per Occupation an abundance of bureaus and
ministries dedicated to
INVESTIGATOR intelligence and counter-
(OCCUPATION) intelligence, such as the
Austrian Evidenzbureau, the
CONSULTING DETECTIVE British War Office, and the
(ARCHETYPE) French Deuxième Bureau.
A consulting detective or The US Pinkerton Agency,
private investigator requires while usually associated with
little explanation. Sherlock detective work, was also
Holmes, the globally engaged to orchestrate covert
celebrated character of operations, particularly
Arthur Conan Doyle, and during the American Civil
Chevalier Auguste Dupin, a War.
lesser-known figure conceived
by Edgar Allan Poe - which CHOICE OF FREE PERK:
paved the path for future Contacts, Danger Sense, Fast
literary private eyes - stand Healer, Guileful, Invisible,
as the most emblematic Polyglot.
examples from 19th-century
fiction. The later exploits of UNIQUE FEAT: UNDERCOVER
the English detective Holmes, SPECIALIST: Covert Operatives
published during the Belle excel in undercover operations
Époque, may serve as and gathering sensitive
inspiration. An operative of information. They have a +2
the American Pinkerton bonus to all Stealth and
Agency could easily fit under Disguise rolls.
this category as well.

CHOICE OF FREE PERK: Allies,

Fast Healer, Gunslinger, High
Pain Threshold, Immunity,
Wealthy.

UNIQUE FEAT: DEDUCTION: The

Consulting Detective can
quickly reach a conclusion by
analysing just a few known
facts; +2 bonus to
Investigation and
Interrogation rolls.

19
 intercepting telegraphed
messages from the enemy
(the credibility of her tale
was later disputed).

CHOICE OF FREE PERK: Allies,

Contacts, Danger Sense, Fast
Healer, Guileful, Polyglot.

UNIQUE FEAT: MASTER OF

DECEPTION: Spies are masters
of manipulation and
subterfuge. They have a +2
bonus to all Seduction and
Persuasion rolls.

MAN OF ACTION
(OCCUPATION)

DAREDEVIL
(ARCHETYPE)
SPY (ARCHETYPE) Prominent daredevils of the
Whilst this class may have Belle Époque include Harry
overlapped with Covert H. Gardiner, known as the
Operative, it is distinctly Human Fly, an American
separate. In this setting, you famed for scaling towering
may inhabit the role of an edifices, and Annie Edson
aristocratic spy, such as Taylor, a schoolteacher who,
Virginia Oldoini, Countess of at the age of 63, became the
Castiglione, mistress of first individual to survive a
Emperor Napoleon III of trip over the Niagara Falls
France, an early pioneer in whilst inside a barrel.
the history of photography
and supposed secret agent. CHOICE OF FREE PERK: Born
Alternatively, one might Athlete, Catlike Balance,
embody a legendary and Danger Sense, Fast Healer,
controversial figure such as Fearless, Lucky.
Juliette Dodu, an (alleged)
heroine of the Franco- UNIQUE FEAT: DEATH-DEFYING
Prussian War, and the first STUNTS: Daredevils excel in
woman to be awarded the performing daring feats and
Legion of Honour, for her taking risks. They have a +3
role in saving the lives of bonus to all rolls related to
thousands of soldiers by Acrobatics.

20
PERFORMER
(OCCUPATION)

CELEBRITY
(ARCHETYPE)
Victor Hugo, poet,
novelist, essayist,
playwright and
politician, was
probably one of the
most renowned
celebrities of his era.
The French actress
Sarah Bernhardt is
another notable fin de
siècle personality.
However, numerous
others could be
mentioned; the
Celebrity class
encompasses a broad
range.

CHOICE OF FREE PERK: Contacts, who entertains powerful and

Eidetic Memory, Famous, wealthy men, or even the
Guileful, Sexually Alluring, lover of a single affluent man.
Wealthy. If you wish to embody a
character such as Gigi, the
Unique Feat: Star Power: protagonist of the eponymous
Celebrities have a natural 1958 romantic comedy
charm and charisma that directed by Vincente Minnelli,
captivates others. They have a this is the fitting class for you.
+2 bonus to all rolls related to
public speaking and CHOICE OF FREE PERK: Allies,
leveraging their fame. Contacts, High Pain
Threshold, Polyglot, Sexually
COCOTTE (ARCHETYPE) Alluring, Sex Bomb.
This class could be stretched
to include a regular UNIQUE FEAT: FEMME FATALE:
Montmartre prostitute, but Cocottes are skilled in the art
more commonly it should of seduction and
denote a courtesan; a woman manipulation. They have a +2
of beauty educated in the arts bonus to all Seduction and
of etiquette and charm, Charm rolls.

21
ROGUE (OCCUPATION) UNIQUE FEAT: MASTER OF
SHADOWS: Fantômes are
CRIMINAL MASTERMIND experts at remaining unseen
(ARCHETYPE) and operating in the
A cunning and manipulative shadows. They have a +2
individual who orchestrates bonus to all rolls related to
intricate schemes and Stealth, Disguise, and
criminal operations in the Lockpicking.
Wild West. You excel in
planning heists, gathering a GAMBLER (ARCHETYPE)
network of loyal criminals, The frontier gambler, whose
and staying one step ahead heyday ran from 1850 to the
of the law. first decade of the 20th
century, is very likely the
CHOICE OF FREE PERK: first image that comes to
Contacts, Danger Sense, Fast mind when thinking about
Healer, Invisible, Lightning this class. But Wretched
Reflexes, Wealthy. Époque is set in Paris by
default, so you may want to
UNIQUE FEAT: MACHIAVELLIAN play a more suave type of
Tactics: +2 bonus to all rolls gambler. Thanks to French
related to planning, mathematician Blaise Pascal,
organizing criminal the roulette wheel was
activities, and outwitting invented in the 17th century,
your enemies. and parimutuel – a betting
system in which all bets of a
FANTÔME (ARCHETYPE) particular type are placed
This class, combined with together in a pool – was
appropriate skills, is also developed in France in the
ideal fit for some types of first years of the Belle
criminal mastermind, such Époque era.
as Professor James Moriarty
and Fantômas, or a high- CHOICE OF FREE PERK: Acute
class thief leading a double Sense, Eidetic Memory,
life, like Arsène Lupin, Guileful, Lucky, Polyglot,
Hercule Flambeau, Edward Wealthy.
Pierce or Irene Adler.
UNIQUE FEAT: GAMBLER’S LUCK:
CHOICE OF FREE PERK: Gamblers have an uncanny
Contacts, Danger Sense, Fast ability to turn the odds in
Healer, Invisible, Lightning their favour. They have a +3
Reflexes, Wealthy. bonus to all Gambling rolls.

22
SCHOLAR (OCCUPATION) EXPLORER (ARCHETYPE)

CITIZEN OF THE WORLD During the Belle Époque

(ARCHETYPE) there were still many
adventurers travelling to
The Citizen of the World is the inhospitable and dangerous
kind of character that travels places where humans had
through the world not never set foot before. This is
necessarily because they want the right class to choose if you
to get some place else, but want to play the likes of
because they crave adventure David Livingstone, Roald
and meeting new people and Amundsen, Robert Falcon
cultures. Scott, or Ernest Shackleton.

Within the Citizen of the Choice of Free Perk: Athletic,

World class belong travellers Danger Sense, Fast Healer,
such as the fictional Phileas Fearless, Immunity, Wealthy.
Fogg, the protagonist of the
1872 Jules Verne novel Unique Feat: Trailblazer:
Around the World in Eighty Explorers have an innate
Days, but also real people like sense of direction and the
American writer and ability to navigate even the
adventurer William Perry most treacherous terrains.
Fogg, who inspired Verne’s They have a +2 bonus to all
character, and reporter Nellie Survival and Tracking rolls.
Bly, who in 1889 travelled the
world in 72 days, emulating
(and even surpassing) Fogg.

CHOICE OF FREE PERK: Allies,

Contacts, Lucky, Polyglot,
Retainers, Wealthy.

UNIQUE FEAT: CULTURAL

ADAPTATION: The Citizen of the
World is adept at blending in
and adapting to different
cultures. They have a +2
bonus to all rolls related to
interacting with people from
different cultures, including
diplomacy, negotiation, and
understanding local customs.

23
MAD
SCIENTIST
(ARCHETYPE)
They are easily
identified as
the antagonists
in this setting,
but a Mad
Scientist could
also be a
character ally
or a playable
anti-hero or
villain.

The
prototypical
Mad Scientist,
Victor
Frankenstein,
protagonist of
Mary Shelley’s
novel, is a
product of the
early 19th
century, but
this archetype
is still very
much alive by the end of the UNIQUE FEAT: UNCONVENTIONAL
same century. H. G. Wells’ GENIUS: Mad Scientists have a
Doctor Moreau falls within unique perspective and
the timeline of Wretched unconventional methods in
Époque and can also be seen their scientific pursuits. They
as a model for this class. have a +2 bonus to all Science
and Technician rolls.
CHOICE OF FREE PERK:
Commanding Presence,
Eidetic Memory, Guileful,
Grease Monkey, Lucky,
Polyglot, Wealthy.

24
 3. Beggar: +1 to Streetwise
Background: Origin and Persuasion

& Lifepath 4. Pickpocket: +1 to

Streetwise and Sleight of
Roll for an Origin and for Hand
past Events on your
character’s Lifepath. The 5. Child Labourer: +1 to
players roll once for their Streetwise and Technician
character’s Origin and 1d3
times on a lifepath table. 6. Factory Worker: +1 to
Origins may be the character’s Brawling and Technician
own past profession, or their
parent’s/tutors’ career 7. Farmhand: +1 to Survival
instead. It’s up to each player and Animal Training
to decide the exact meaning
of their Origin. The following 8. Prostitute: +1 to Seduction
are similar to the tables found and Persuasion
in Wretched Role-Playing
Game, but adapted to the 9. Scavenger: +1 to Tracking
context of the Belle Époque. and Scavenging

ORIGIN, ROLL 1d6 10. Squatter: +1 to Survival

and Streetwise
1. DESTITUTE: You were born
into poverty and struggled
from an early age. You may
have been an orphan, or,
perhaps, your family lived on
the street for a time, begging,
borrowing, or stealing to
survive. Your starting wealth
is reduced by 50%.

+1 to Toughness and Wits

ROLL 1d10

1. Street Urchin: +1 to
Streetwise and Survival

2. Vagabond: +1 to Tracking
and Survival

25
2. STRUGGLING: You were born 3. COMFORTABLE: You were born
into a lower-class or working- into a middle-class family.
class family. Your life was Your starting wealth is
hard growing up. Your unchanged.
starting wealth is reduced by
25%. +1 Brains

+2 to Wits ROLL 1d10

ROLL 1d10 1. Clerk: +1 to Academics

and Research
1. Con Artist: +1 to Sleight of
Hand and Persuasion 2. Small business owner: +1
to Academics: Finance
2. Labourer: +1 to Brawling and Persuasion
and Technician
3. Athlete: +1 to Athletics
3. Petty Criminal: +1 to and Acrobatics
Gambling and Carousing
4. Constable: +1 to
4. Hustler: +1 to Seduction Investigation and Small
and Charm Arms

5. Shop Clerk: +1 to Athletics 5. Nurse: +1 to Medicine and

and Persuasion First Aid

6. Housewife: +1 to Brewing 6. Schoolteacher: +1 to

and First Aid Academics and Persuasion

7. Discharged Soldier: +1 to 7. University student: +1 to

Leadership and Small Academics: Major and
Arms Research

8. Struggling Artist: +1 to 8. Musician: +1 to

Art and Persuasion Performance and Play
Instrument
9. Day Labourer: +1 to
Technician and Carousing 9. Salesperson: +1 to
Persuasion and Charm
10. Street Vendor: +1 to
Persuasion and Carousing 10. Telegraph Operator: +1 to
Other Languages and
Research

26
4. WEALTHY: 5. RICH: You wanted for nothing
You were born into an upper- while growing up. Your
middle class family. Your starting wealth is increased by
starting wealth is increased 50%.
by 25%.
+1 Sex-appeal
+1 Magnetism
ROLL 1d10
ROLL 1d10
1. Heir to a business empire:
1. Politician: +1 to +1 to Persuasion and
Leadership and Persuasion Academics: Finance.

2. Socialite: +1 to Carousing 2. Heir to a noble title: +1 to

and Persuasion Leadership and Persuasion.

3. Playboy/ Wealthy 3. Heir to a criminal empire:

Adventuress: +1 to Charm +1 to Intimidation and
and Seduction Carousing

4. Dilettante: +1 to 4. Philanthropist: +1 to
Academics and Other Persuasion and Academics.
Languages
5. Crime boss: +1 to
5. Solicitor: +1 to Persuasion Intimidation and
and Academics: Finance Leadership

6. Professional Athlete: +1 to 6. Industrialist: +1 to

Athletics and Acrobatics. Academics and Persuasion.

7. Lawyer: +1 to Law and 7. Theatre Celebrity: +1 to

Persuasion Acting and Persuasion.

8. Medical Doctor: +1 to 8. Successful Gambler: +1 to

Medicine and First Aid. Gambling and Persuasion

9. Professor: +1 to 9. Art collector: +1 to

Academics and Research. Academics: Art History
and Persuasion
10. Business owner: +1 to
Academics: Finance and 10. Investment banker: +1 to
Persuasion Academics: Finance and
Persuasion

27
6. ELITE: You were born into a
very rich and powerful family. Lifepath
You are well-versed in the
trappings of power. Your You...
starting wealth is increased in
100%. 1. Discovered an artifact of
occult power dating back to
+1 Magnetism ancient times. (add Occult +2)

ROLL 1d10 2. Were abducted by a secret

society and subjected to
1. Heir to a royal title: +1 to strange alchemical
Leadership and Persuasion experiments. (add
Flashbacks, Danger Sense)
2. Banker: +1 to Leadership
and Academics: Finance 3. Uncovered a cabal of
occultists secretly controlling
3. Military leader: +1 to events in the city from the
Leadership and Tactics shadows. (add Enemy, Occult
+2)
4. Owner of a large company:
+1 to Intimidation and 4. Began having vivid
Leadership nightmares and visions
hinting at hidden truths. (add
5. Newspaper Tycoon: +1 to Nightmares, Occult +2)
Persuasion and Academics:
Media 5. Became haunted by the
vengeful spirit of a murder
6. Banker: +1 to Academics: victim. (add Nightmares,
Finance and Persuasion Occult +2)

7. Diplomat: +1 to Law and 6. Were stalked by a

Persuasion mysterious figure who
seemed to know your every
8. Industrialist: +1 to move. (add Paranoia, Danger
Persuasion and Leadership Sense)

9. Major shareholder: +1 to 7. Were trapped in a

Academics: Finance and nightmare realm controlled
Leadership by a powerful dream demon.
(add Nightmares, Occult +2)
10. Patron of the Arts: +1 to
Academics: Art History
and Persuasion

28
8. Stumbled upon a vast 16. Uncovered dark and
underground tunnel network shocking secrets about your
beneath the city streets. (add own family's past. (add Dirty
Claustrophobia, Survival +2) Secret, Investigation +2)

9. Were marked for death by 17. Found yourself amidst a

an ancient and powerful city plunged into chaos by a
vampire lord. (add mysterious disease. (add
Nightmares, Occult +2) PTSD, Medicine +2)

10. Were forced to confront a 18. Were drawn into

past trauma you thought you investigating a series of
had buried. (add Flashbacks, gruesome occult murders.
Iron Will) (add Paranoia, Occult +2)

11. Found yourself being 19. Inherited a vast fortune

hunted by a vicious werewolf and discovered your lineage
pack. (add Panic Disorder, has occult origins. (add
Tracking +2) Enemy, Wealth)

12. Began having disturbing 20. Lived an eventful life - roll

visions hinting at a greater twice more on this table.
occult conspiracy. (add
Hallucinations,
Investigation +2)

13. Were caught in a

secret war between rival
factions of undead. (Nadd
ightmares, Occult +2)

14. Got caught between

feuding gangs of
criminals and thieves.
(add Enemy, Stealth +2)

15. Became the target of

a demon seeking to
possess your body. (add
PTSD,
Occult +2)

29
STDs in the Chlamydia
Belle Époque Chlamydia is a bacterial
disease which can be
Being a Wretched game, transmitted during vaginal,
sexually transmitted diseases oral or anal sex. Infections
deserves a little more start in the person’s mouth,
attention than others. Syphilis, reproductive organs, rectum
chlamydia and gonorrhoea are or urethra.
widespread among prostitutes
and can become a severe The first symptoms should
problem for player characters. appear between days to weeks
after the condition and
Every time a character has include discharges from the
sex with a prostitute, there’s a vagina or the urethra, painful
50 to 95 per cent chance the and frequent urination and
fallen woman is carrying one vaginal or rectal bleeding.
or more sexually transmitted
diseases.

Roll the percentage or choose

Gonorrhoea
accordingly and allow the Just like chlamydia,
player character a Toughness gonorrhoea is caused by a
Avoidance Roll to battle bacterial infection, and it can
disease. be passed from person to
person through vaginal, oral,
Since these are all treated or anal sex.
with antibiotics, which weren’t
available at the time, being Gonorrhoea might be
infected is a real danger, and asymptomatic
the “cure”, which mainly or
consisted of mercury accompanied
compounds rubbed on the by painful
skin, inhaled, or injected in and frequent
the urethra, could be even urination,
more dangerous than the yellow
disease itself. vaginal
discharges,
The most common mercury and rectal or
poisoning symptoms include vaginal
muscle weakness, poor bleeding.
coordination, anxiety, and
memory/ hearing/ sight loss.

30
Syphilis
This disease is also
caused by bacteria,
and it is transmitted
by having contact
with an infected
person’s syphilis sores
(chancres) or through
skin cuts. Since the
sores often appear in
areas such as the
vulva, penis or anus,
most infections occur
during sexual
intercourse.

Syphilis is the most

dangerous of the
three STDs mentioned
here and evolves
through three stages.
The first stage is a
painless sore that will
disappear even
without treatment
after a few weeks.

The secondary stage is Syphilitic paresis is one of

accompanied by flu-like them, a severe neurological
symptoms and rashes. Weight disease that initially causes
loss, lymph gland swelling, fatigue, headaches and
fevers and joint pains are the dizziness, but eventually,
worst symptoms during this mental deterioration will
phase. After that, the disease occur.
becomes latent for a period
that could go from months to Tumour-like growths in
years. If the infected person several parts of the body, a
isn’t adequately treated - and degenerative heart condition
there’s no such treatment in and paralysis are other
this setting - other conditions possible developments of
will develop in the following untreated third-stage syphilis.
years.

31
Rules For STDs Onset of STD
Contracting sexually
transmitted diseases can be
Symptoms
mechanically adapted by CHLAMYDIA SYMPTOMS,
having each sexual ROLL 1d6
intercourse rated by grades of
danger: 1. Discharge from the vagina
or the urethra
• Grade A (having sex with
the average person): 2. Painful and frequent
Negligible/ 10 per cent urination
chance
3. Vaginal or rectal bleeding
• Grade B (cocotte/
courtesan/ high-class 4. Abdominal pain
prostitute): 50% chance
5. Pain during intercourse
• Grade C (average
prostitute): 60% chance 6. Testicular pain (for male
characters)
• Grade D (cheap prostitute):
70-90% chance

• Grade E (obviously
diseased prostitute): 95%
chance

32
GONORRHOEA SYMPTOMS, SECONDARY STAGE,
ROLL 1d6 ROLL 1d6

1. Painful and frequent 1. Skin rash

urination
2. Mucous membrane lesions
2. Yellow vaginal discharges
(for female characters) 3. Fever

3. Rectal or vaginal bleeding 4. Swollen lymph glands

4. Abdominal pain 5. Sore throat

5. Pain during intercourse 6. Weight loss

6. Testicular pain (for male

characters) LATENT STAGE, ROLL 1d6

1-3. No symptoms (latent)

SYPHILIS SYMPTOMS, 4-6. Mild symptoms from
ROLL 1d6 AT EACH STAGE primary or secondary stage
(roll on previous tables)
PRIMARY STAGE,
ROLL 1D6
TERTIARY STAGE,
1. Single sore (chancre) ROLL 1d6
2. Skin rash 1. No symptoms (latent)
3. Multiple sores 2. Neurological problems
4. Swelling in nearby lymph 3. Cardiovascular problems
nodes
4. Mental disorders
5. Fever
5. Gummas
6. Asymptomatic (soft tissue swellings)

6. Blindness

33
 • After 1-2 years without
Progression of treatment: Progress to
Tertiary Stage. Roll for
Disease symptoms. Toughness
Avoidance Roll to avoid
Each STD has a set number permanent damage.
of stages, and characters
should progress through these
stages over time if they don’t
receive any treatment
Treatment By Normal/
Magical Means
Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea At the first stages of an STD,
Progression: characters are curable by
natural means with no
• Initial Infection: Roll for adverse effects. By the first
symptoms. stage, they are curable by
standard medicine, but have a
• After 1 week without 50% chance of adverse effects.
treatment: Roll for At a later stage, while the
additional symptom. characters are still not beyond
help, they will eventually die
• After 2 weeks without without seeking out magical/
treatment: Roll for supernatural/ weird science
additional symptom. aid. Regular medicine might
Toughness Avoidance Roll do nothing for characters at a
to avoid permanent certain point, and even
damage. supernatural cures will have
an 80% chance of leaving the
survivor with an adverse
Syphilis Progression: effect.
• Primary Stage: Roll for
symptoms.

• After 2-3 weeks without

treatment: Progress to
Secondary Stage. Roll for
symptoms.

• After 4-10 weeks without

treatment: Progress to
Latent Stage. Roll for
symptoms.

34
 3. You are caught in a police
Carousing raid at an illegal absinthe
den and spend a night in
jail
in the 4. You get food poisoning
from eating escargot at a
Belle Époque street vendor and are
bedridden for a day
In between adventures (when
not healing from wounds or 5. You lost a piece of Art
otherwise occupied) Nouveau jewellery or other
characters can use the valuable possession during
carousing action to earn some a night of partying
additional money or items,
gain powerful friends, or
generate additional story 6. You make an enemy of a
seeds for further adventure. prominent figure in
Parisian society
To determine the outcome of
a carousing activity, have the 6-10. The carousing activity is
player declare what their uneventful and does not
character is doing. provide any benefits or
drawbacks
Then they roll a d20
modified by any
magnetism bonus or
carousing skill, then
consult the following table.
The GM will interpret the
results for the player.

1-5. The carousing activity

creates problems for the
character. Roll 1d6:

1. You get into a fight at a

bohemian gathering in
Montmartre

2. You are pickpocketed

while enjoying a night
at the Moulin Rouge

36
11-15. The carousing activity potentially be a valuable
provides minor benefits. Roll ally in the future
1d6:
2. You stumble upon a
1. You overhear a valuable valuable object, such as a
piece of information at a rare gem or an ancient
café, such as a lead on a artefact, at a flea market
job or the location of a
hidden treasure 3. You are offered a new job
or a quest by a member of
2. You participate in a small the French nobility
gambling game at a
private club and come out 4. You befriend a powerful
with a bit of extra cash and skilled individual, like
a renowned detective or a
3. You make a new famous author, who is
acquaintance while willing to aid you
attending a performance
at the Paris Opera 5. You discover a relevant
secret about an enemy or
4. You come across a useful rival during a séance
item, such as a potion
from a local apothecary or 6. You make contact with a
a map of the Paris large underground group
catacombs or a criminal operation in
the Parisian underworld
5. You learn potentially
harmful information
about a rival from a
gossiping salon attendee

6. You are offered a minor

quest or job by a
mysterious stranger at a
cabaret

16-20. The carousing activity

provides significant benefits.
Roll 1d6:

1. You meet a powerful and

influential individual, such
as a politician or a famous
artist, who could

37
 you for cheating, causing
Carousing you to lose the money and
perhaps face legal trouble

Events 6. You lose a small amount

of money at a game of
TABLE 1 (GAMBLING), craps and gain valuable
ROLL 1d20 information from the
other gamblers that leads
1. You win a small amount to a potential adventure
of money at a game of
baccarat, but it doesn't 7. You lose a moderate
last long; you end up amount of money at a
losing it all in the next game of blackjack, but
game you make some valuable
connections among the
2. You win a moderate other gamblers
amount of money at a
private poker game, but 8. You lose a large amount
you attract the attention of money at a game of
of a powerful local gang trente et quarante and
who now expects you to become indebted to a
pay them a percentage of shady individual who will
your winnings expect you to repay the
debt with interest
3. You win a large amount
of money at a high-stakes 9. You win a small amount
roulette game and are of money at a game of
able to afford some nice bouillotte and discover
upgrades for your that the game was
equipment at a local actually illegal and you
boutique are now being pursued by
the authorities
4. You win a small amount
of money at a game of 10. You win a moderate
faro, but the game was amount of money at a
rigged and you are robbed game of écarté and a
of your winnings by an local noble/wealthy
NPC businessman takes notice
of your skills, offering to
5. You win a large amount sponsor you in high-
of money at a game of stakes games in the
chemin de fer, but a future
jealous rival frames

38
11. You win a large amount of 17. You win a large amount of
money at a game of vingt- money at a game of
et-un and can afford some backgammon and are able
fancy new gear, but it to afford a luxurious
attracts the attention of lifestyle for a while, but it
thieves who attempt to attracts the attention of
steal it from you those who want to take it
from you
12. You lose a small amount
of money at a game of 18. You lose a small amount
piquet and make an enemy of money at a game of
of one gambler, who seeks draughts and discover that
revenge the game was part of a
larger criminal operation
13. You lose a moderate and you are now being
amount of money at a pursued by the law
game of manille and end
up in a drunken brawl, 19. You lose a moderate
getting injured in the amount of money at a
process (1d6 damage) game of vingt-et-un and
become addicted to
14. You lose a large amount of gambling, causing
money at a game of belote problems in your personal
and become the target of and professional life
a scam artist who
promises to help you win 20. You lose a large amount of
it back money at a game of bridge
and are forced to take on
15. You win a small amount dangerous and illegal jobs
of money at a game of to pay off your debts.
tarot and are approached
by a mysterious individual
who offers you a job using
your gambling skills for
his own gain

16. You win a moderate

amount of money at a
game of trictrac and are
invited to a high-stakes
backgammon game with a
powerful and dangerous
individual

39
TABLE 2 (DRINKING), 4. You discover a new and
ROLL 1d20 delightful wine caste.
That may turn out to be a
1. You end up getting into a business opportunity
fight with a local at a
cabaret and take 1d6 5. You hear rumours of a
damage. hidden speakeasy and
gain a new plot hook for a
2. You drink too much future adventure
absinthe and pass out,
losing 1d4 hours of your 6. You win a drinking
time contest at a brasserie and
gain a small amount of
3. You find a new drinking money
buddy at a café and gain
a +1 bonus on all social 7. You get drunk and reveal
interaction rolls with a secret, potentially
them for the next 24 causing a problem with a
hours person or group

40